Ed wort's apfelwein

I started my apeflwein on 7/15 there is very little activity at this point do I need to clarify the cider if I carbonate it exactly what is the process. When do I bottle?

As i understand it you should wait for it to go clear on its own, at that point its ready to drink.

I never even think about bottling my apfelwein before 6 months, and don't even touch them till they've been around a year. Most folks I know won't even taste any apfelwein younger than that. Then they can't keep their hands off it after. It's pretty much rocket fuel when it's young, but is deceptively smooth when It's aged. I'm working through a batch that's around two years old and it's silky smooth, but still potent. Kinda like a claw hammer in a velvet glove....

A lot of folks new to this, drink it way too young, and don't even know what they're missing. It's like any high gravity brew, it needs time to mellow.

Hallo,
Why carbonate?
Apfelwein in Germany is never carbonated. That is the British contribution to Cider.

I Lived in Germany for 30 Years.

most said:

Hallo,
Why carbonate?
Apfelwein in Germany is never carbonated. That is the British contribution to Cider.

I Lived in Germany for 30 Years.

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I think most people do it because it tastes better.

FuzzeWuzze said:

I think most people do it because it tastes better.

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Yes. My friends like it higly carbed, and call it Apple Champagne. I usually give bottles as gifts at Christmastime.

Revvy said:

Yes. My friends like it higly carbed, and call it Apple Champagne. I usually give bottles as gifts at Christmastime.

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When do you usually bottle and when you carbonate it is done by back sweetening with dextrose?

I usually bottle after it's been sitting for about 6 months as mentioned in my earlier post. And I bottle with about 5.5-6 ounces of priming sugar, and bottle in old champagne bottles.

reeny said:

When do you usually bottle and when you carbonate it is done by back sweetening with dextrose?

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Not back sweetening, i assume most people just use corn sugar/dextrose like you would for carbonating any bottles of beer/etc.

You wouldnt want to try to back sweeten with more fermentable sugar, or else your just going to get bottle bombs and its going to dry out even more.

Revvy said:

I never even think about bottling my apfelwein before 6 months, and don't even touch them till they've been around a year. Most folks I know won't even taste any apfelwein younger than that. Then they can't keep their hands off it after. It's pretty much rocket fuel when it's young, but is deceptively smooth when It's aged. I'm working through a batch that's around two years old and it's silky smooth, but still potent. Kinda like a claw hammer in a velvet glove....

A lot of folks new to this, drink it way too young, and don't even know what they're missing. It's like any high gravity brew, it needs time to mellow.

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Do you leave it on the yeast in primary the entire 6 months? I've got one going for a month that I'm going to let go 6 months and also bottle in champagne bottles. Do you add yeast for bottle carbonating?

DSmith said:

Do you leave it on the yeast in primary the entire 6 months? I've got one going for a month that I'm going to let go 6 months and also bottle in champagne bottles. Do you add yeast for bottle carbonating?

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Yes, and no.

I have and apfelwein that will have been in primary for 1 year on Oct 1st. I'm going to keg it today and naturally carbonate it with priming sugar. Do you think I need to add a new yeast strain to carbonate it?

Revvy I assume aging is necessary for those that drink theirs dry. But if you backsweeten with apple concentrate I wouldn't imagine you need to let it sit there for that long?

irchowi said:

Revvy I assume aging is necessary for those that drink theirs dry. But if you backsweeten with apple concentrate I wouldn't imagine you need to let it sit there for that long?

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Dry or sweet has nothing to do with it, why would you think that? It doesn't matter in the wine world is an aged wine is dry or sweet does it?

It has everything to do with having a hot alcohol nature when young and pretty much tasting like rocket fuel until it reaches a nice mellow state with aging. Then it is even more dangerous because it gets so smoooooooooth. When it is aged it's like a hand wearing a velvet glove holding a steel pipe.

Drink it young if you're impatient but save a few bottles for later. You'll then understand why most people in this time of instant gratification don't know what they're missing out on.

steinsato said:

I have and apfelwein that will have been in primary for 1 year on Oct 1st. I'm going to keg it today and naturally carbonate it with priming sugar. Do you think I need to add a new yeast strain to carbonate it?

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It wouldn't hurt. It's a high alcohol enviroment that's been sitting awhile. I haven't had any issues with it sitting at 6 months....But I've never sat it as long as you

Revvy said:

Dry or sweet has nothing to do with it, why would you think that? It doesn't matter in the wine world is an aged wine is dry or sweet does it?

It has everything to do with having a hot alcohol nature when young and pretty much tasting like rocket fuel until it reaches a nice mellow state with aging. Then it is even more dangerous because it gets so smoooooooooth. When it is aged it's like a hand wearing a velvet glove holding a steel pipe.

Drink it young if you're impatient but save a few bottles for later. You'll then understand why most people in this time of instant gratification don't know what they're missing out on.

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I understand that. But I don't think I've ever heard anybody say apfelwein has a hot alcohol nature to it. In fact, all edwort says in his opening post is that aging it 6-8 months brings out the apple flavor. I assumed if that was all there was to it, backsweetening it with apple concentrate would solve the problem.

irchowi said:

I understand that. But I don't think I've ever heard anybody say apfelwein has a hot alcohol nature to it. In fact, all edwort says in his opening post is that aging it 6-8 months brings out the apple flavor. I assumed if that was all there was to it, backsweetening it with apple concentrate would solve the problem.

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What do you think "brings out the apple flavor means?" It means, once the hot alcoholic/rocket fuel roughness mellows out, you get to appreciate the apple flavor hidden by it.

And if you haven't heard other people say this, then you haven't been reading the threads thoroughly enough.....Why do you think steinsato just said he's got a kegs worth sitting for a year?

Have you actually made it yet? If not, rather than quibbling with me, do what I did. Make a batch, drink some and share with friends....then let the rest of the batch age, and taste it then, and share it then. Now unless all you and your friends are interested in is the high....you will come to appreciate what those of us who know what we're talking about are saying.

I don't get why this is such a hard concept to get. This is a HIGH alcohol beverage, made with a lot of sugar. HIGH ALCOHOL BEVERAGES TAKE TIME TO COME INTO THEIR OWN. When fermented simple sugars tend to have a rawness or hotness to them.

Lazy Lama made a great diagram to explain this.



Backsweetening doesn't change the fact that there is a harshness to drink when it is young.....It just means your masking the roughness of the base.....It's still going to be 10,000 times better when you let all the flavors come together.

Alright man I get it.

For the record I have a batch sitting at 5 weeks. That's why I was wondering.

Revvy said:

I usually bottle after it's been sitting for about 6 months as mentioned in my earlier post. And I bottle with about 5.5-6 ounces of priming sugar, and bottle in old champagne bottles.

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Revvy

How long do you allow it to bottle condition?

I don't touch my Apfelwein til it's been at least a year since I made it.

I've been sharing batches that are over 2 years old nw and people are raving about it.

Sorry to sound like a total noob, but what does it taste like?
Is it like apple flavoured white wine? Like dry cider? just unsure if I want to commit a carboy to a 6 month ferment and then not like it!

My friends enjoy sweet carbonated ciders and aren't nuts about the drier ciders, so I'm guessing this one wouldn't be a good fit?

Unless maybe you think back sweetening after 6 month primary, let it carb then pasteurize the bottles and let them age another 6 months. Not sure if its worth the effort when a pretty damn good sweet cider can be carbed and ready to drink in two weeks.

Enlighten me if I sound like a heathen, I'm willing to try!

Too noob of a question?

Safa said:

Too noob of a question?

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Mine is still and sweet and definitely wine. Not at all cider. Less apple. I would classify it as sweet as a German Riesiling or Asti Spumante. Last night I just had a couple full glass of one I started back in Dec of '11. Bulked till yesterday when I bottled it to gallon jugs. Mine ended up at about 8.25% ABV.

Drinkable but not as yummy as a cider.

Thanks, appreciate the response.

I might give 1 gallon a try just for fun. Who knows, maybe I'll like it?

I had a friend's at 3 months in primary and a few weeks to bottle carbonate and it was great, refreshing. The apple taste was faint and it was tart and dry.

I'm at 5 months on a planned 6 month primary for my first batch, but 3 months still made a good product to decide if it's something you like. Highly recommend doing the 5 gallon batch... I'm sold on just buying a 5 gallon carboy and making it twice a year. I don't plan on opening the first bottle until a year from making it.